Brian Lehrer: A Daily Politics Podcast Changes Coming To Infant Vaccines & SNAP
Dec 5, 2025
Julie Rovner, Chief Washington Correspondent for KFF Health News, and Jude Joffe-Block, NPR Reporter focusing on policy, dive into urgent topics affecting public health. They discuss significant changes to SNAP benefits, highlighting states' resistance to federal demands. Julie outlines crucial updates on infant hepatitis B vaccinations, including the delays in recommendations and potential impacts on vaccine coverage. They also touch on the political battle over extending Obamacare subsidies and its implications for future healthcare costs.
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SNAP Data Demand Faces Legal Pushback
- USDA demanded extensive SNAP recipient data and threatened to withhold administrative funds from states refusing to comply.
- A federal judge issued a preliminary injunction saying the demand is likely contrary to law, blocking USDA actions for now.
Alleged SNAP Fraud Lacks Context
- Secretary Brooke Rollins cited headline statistics from partial state data to allege massive fraud in SNAP without full context.
- Jude Joffe-Block notes those numbers are hard to interpret without detailed follow-up and verification.
ACIP Vote Marked By Confusion
- ACIP delayed and then revisited a vote on giving newborns a hepatitis B dose at birth amid confusion over changing proposals.
- Experts worry the committee lacks clarity and consistent evidence to justify altering a long-standing vaccine practice.